GMO Free Kauai

There’s a new super political action committee in town and they are out to influence local politics here. The Washington, D.C. based Center for Food Safety set up office here and is raising money to change Hawaii to their liking. This is actually a neo-luddite group that is disguised as a benign sounding consumer group which it is not. They are really an activist group run by organic industry leaders and activists. They are not about helping with food security and food safety in Hawaii or supporting agriculture in our islands unless it is their way.

Here’s a copy of the questionnaire that they have been sending candidates recently to see where they stand:

Let’s take apart some of the questions that they are posing to see what this innocuous sounding group is really after.

1) Do you support, and if elected, will you vote to require all agrichemical companies to disclose pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that apply and GE crops they grow to adjacent landowners , businesses, and residents?

Basically, they want to apply the same anti-GMO ordinance that they enacted on Kauai to the whole state. It is discriminating against a safe and approved crop as regulated by the Federal government. Once again, they are seeking to divide and conquer agriculture in our islands by creating this divide again. There already was a pesticide registry passed at the state level last year by a CFS favorite, Jessica Wooley. Who is to say that they are not going to try to have all farmers covered by this law if they use pesticides? How many burdens do we want to put on others for the sake of attacking the bigger industries here?

2) Do you support, and if elected, will you vote to increase financial and programmatic support for organic and sustainable farming?

First of all, the CFS is implying once again that only organic is sustainable. The fail to mention to the candidate who does not do research that this “organic” issue is really a lobby created by an act of Congress. It is under the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service to help farmers to sell their products at a premium. This has nothing to do with food security or food safety or nutrition that’s even listed in the National Organic Program website. Do we want candidates to support only farmers who want to sell high end food to consumers? This group is not about making food affordable for the local people. It’s about growing their industry plain and simple. They use no evidence or science to dictate what has been shown to be truly sustaining. Organic farming is not the only answer to food sustainability and nor is it about food security or affordability. We need all the tools in agriculture to get Hawaii more food secure and not just funding premium products! We’ve got to maximize the yields we get in our currently lands first and foremost to have the least environmental impact overall.

3) Do you support funding state programs that expand support programs (including loans, business planning, safety certification, , education, grants in aid) for farmers growing food crops?

I have no problem with this question being asked and yes, we should look at supporting ALL farmers who grow things, not just food crops! Agriculture in Hawaii is so much more than food. Anyone who grows something here that is their livelihood should have our support, whether it be flowers, coffee, vegetables, cocoa, etc. We’ve got to value ALL farmers and stop dividing up ag into what is and what isn’t considered agriculture. The growing of things are only done by very few people and we should value and give them our support.

4) Do you support legislation that would preserved and support our native species, including pollinators, adversely affected by pesticide use?

This question posed is very biased in how they are presenting the issue. First of all, the honey bees we have in our islands are anything but native. We’ve brought them in nearly a hundred years ago. They have competed with or very own native pollinators and as a result have decimated our true native species of bees.

Typical anti-GMO literature will give people the impression that there’s an armageddon of bee deaths. The antis will all claim that GMOs and pesticides are killing them all. It’s odd because the latest data points in the opposite direction. The latest statistics collected by the USDA shows that honeybee colonies are definitely growing with Hawaii having some of the highest yields also. Honey yields increased by nearly 15% this year. If what they CFS is saying is true, this would not be the case given their statements. Making a law based on false evidence will only have unintended consequences that we just don’t need.

5) Do you support the labeling of foods that have been genetically engineered?

6) If elected, will you vote to protect home rule of counties over agriculture?

First of all, historically speaking, Hawaii was not unified and at a warring state for hundreds of years. It wasn’t until a leader with a keen eye for leadership realized that they islands had to be unified. That person was King Kamehameha who saw to it that the entire island chain became united. Currently, we have politicians like Gary Hooser, Tim Bynum, Margaret Wille, Brenda Ford, Jessica Wooley, and Kaniela Ing who are supporting the home rule clause. They want to undo the unity in Hawaii agriculture and have fabricated a war which only takes away from the big goal of food security and affordability.

Mr. Bynum is also finding out that passing such home rule laws come with a cost that he had ignored. Guess who will have to pay for those costs? Yes, all of the residents in those counties in the form of higher property taxes and fees to cover the implementation of such laws.

7) Do you support the growing of more food in Hawaii?

Um, yes, we all support he growing of more food. Attacking farmers and the technology they use isn’t going to help achieve this goal. CFS is clearly anti-biotech and anti-aquaculture which is some key components to our locally grown foods here. Will that mean they will block new technology if it saves bananas from viral diseases that are hitting farmers now? Does this group wish to be a part of solving the problem or are they contributors to the problem? I see them as the latter when it comes time for more locally grown food. Are they going to help fund research to help solve Hawaii’s food problems or only be takers? Their history of lawsuits against farmers only tell me that they are going to impede options to farmers and ranchers. That’s not what we need in Hawaii at all.

8) Do you support the legislation to access more locally grown food?

This question sends shivers down my spine. How is more legislation upon farmers going to increase locally grown food? More laws mean more burdens and loops that farmers must go through to do their work? What we actually needs is less legislation to achieve more locally grown food. Real farmers already have to contend with the burdensome Food Safety and Modernization Act that costs thousands to implement, as well as labor laws, tax laws, and so many other laws that apply to their businesses. Leaders need to incentivize farming not punish them, which is what we have done in the last several years. Want more food here? Support those farmers and work collaboratively to reach that goal.

The Dirty Truth about the Hawaii Center for Food Safety

I wrote an earlier post about why people, especially leaders, need to be very wary about this group. This group is about taking away possible solutions and use the heavy handed fear tactics that have divided the Kauai community. We don’t need more emotion, ideology based demands in Hawaii’s food security and sustainability issues. We need to use data and evidence to guide the state towards the goal. The Center for Food Safety isn’t about collaborating and HELPING Hawaii people achieve the goal but about blocking possible options.

From the Center for Food Safety website. Clearly fear peddlers and not supporters of farmers at all.

If you as leaders and candidates choose to align with this group, you’ve just taken us 20 step backwards instead of forward. This group isn’t from here and doesn’t have any connection to the local roots we all share in agriculture. We need collaborators in these issues, not takers and fear mongers. Why do we want to move Hawaii into the dark ages? Open up people’s minds to what’s happening in the world instead of shutting it down in fear and ideology. That’s the true responsibility of a good leader!

If you choose to align with people who believe that they must wear gas masks and hazmat suits on farms, then that tells me that I won’t be endorsing you as a candidate. We don’t need fear peddlers in Hawaii. We need people who do their due diligence and research the issues and not stand on ignorance and ideology.

Local politics in Hawaii is used to be a place of dignity and respect. This held true even when people in the community didn’t necessarily agree with the platform of a particular candidate. Mr Kahn broke down in tears during his testimony during the public hearings revolving around Bill 2491. He told the council that he cared for Kauai. Mr Brun also came to tears during his testimony to Council around the same topic. Arthur has spent uncountable hours serving the community and has a child with diabetes that he spoke of during his testimony. It is unfortunate that Mr Kahn has no respect for someone like Mr Brun, a person that has given so much service to the community.

Several months ago, I received a message from a Terez Amato in my Facebook message box.

I’m not sure what she is referring to by “Thalidomide babies” and “flipper kids” and epidemiology. Quite a bizarre email indeed because I don’t know what Thalidomide has to do with papayas. Maybe she read it on some Natural News website and got that idea.

When I read this, I got the impressions that she was kind of bragging that she buys non-GMO certified organic papayas. I suspect that she must not know that most of the non-GMO stuff is already virus infected. Nature actually GMO’d these fruits already. Little does she know that she is actually eating more virus particles in her fruit than she would in a transgenic GMO one. Of course, your body can’t tell the difference either way. Only an anti-GMO activist would be freaked out to know this. Our stomach’s hydrochloric acid and enzymes would destroy those DNA molecules up like nothing and we wouldn’t know the difference.

I did write her back to ask her about her expertise on this issue and she didn’t reply to me. It would be interesting to learn where she read about this because I can’t seem to find how the two issues are related.

It’s also interesting to note that she is running as a Senator for the Hawaii Legislature. Good to know where she stands on the issues.

Once again, there is an upcoming anti-GMO concert party going to happen on Kauai. This poster is going around the social media right now touting this event. This is the hip thing to do in our islands, have a big old shin dig.

Once again the lack of awareness of these activists are glaring. There’s Makana with his GMO cotton overalls and cotton GMO aloha shirt with a guitar that is coated with chemicals. He tries to look as if he is a farmer that is speaking for farmers but in reality, is just a musician. He’s the idol of the GMO Free crowd right now so its time to keep the iron hot!

This concert will likely have high tech devices like speakers and instruments that were made by a multinational corporation but they will scream in horror of their alleged atrocities.

They flying in people like Vandana Shiva from around the world who’s job it is to scare and outrightly disinform people. Forget the fact that she’s not coming here on a home made wooden boat from India. She’s a jet setter traveling all around the world and corporate made high tech planes that guzzle tons of synthetic, earth polluting jet fuels. She wants to save the world with her message of being green is good and use lots of GMO guzzling cars to get to these concerts. She’s out to save the world while polluting the earth.

The concert attendees are earth lovers who wave their hands with peace and love for they are doing the aina a favor. All the meanwhile they are using oil burning power to dance, sing, and party. They eat and drink from corporate made beers or foods that were brought in on gas powered ships to feed the people for that day. The majority of what they consume likely is GMO and they aren’t choking on it that day.

Tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of human energy are joined in that one spot for several hours socializing and reinforcing their beliefs about this Hawaiian sounding movement. They are bonded by this need to save the earth from the poisoners of the world but then don’t even realize their own poisoning of the world.

Tons of trash created by food containers, beverages, and posters fill up the dumpsters that fill our landfills on the island. It piles on the same trash that was created from all the Bill 2491 hearings and the labeling bills. The multiple marches held throughout the year is also buried in the trash mound too, and leeching into the aina.

The sewage created by this gathering is also enormous. It all goes into that fossil fuel powered sewer systems to be processed to save the land from toxic human waste. These people are worried about their water systems but don’t worry about their own impacts on water either when they gather together.

The concert will eventually end and lots of photos and videos of this momentous event will fill the corporate owned social media sites like Facebook and YouTube. These people yearn for the “old days” where things were so much better but will never forget to bring their latest corporate made IPhones or smartphones. Without this high technology, these activists are lost but they still refuse to accept the “evil” ways of modern day farming.

After all is said and done and all the human energy is expended, was there truly a positive impact from what they did? Was there a piece of the aina cleaned that day to keep sea life healthy? Were human lives saved by spending half a day at a concert? Will people be fed sustainably by this day? Did they work towards making Hawaii more food secure? Was the money spent going to last towards a greater cause to actually help farmers keep farming?

Like the transient nature of a concert, so are the actions of these activists. The current fad is to be anti-GMO right now. Forget about the long term consequences of what they re asking for because they can’t see beyond the next concert. They will still go on wearing the textiles that they protest and buy the food and fuel that they fear but acknowledge consuming. They cry, “Let the people decide,” and don’t even realize what they reap the rewards of in their own lives once again.

CHEMICAL FARMERS PLAN LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN TO CASH IN ON S-A EDITORIAL DURING UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION(PNN- Jan, 14) An email circulated among the leaders of the chemical “farming” industry in Hawai`i reveals an upcoming letter writing campaign to try to take advantage of a recent pro-industry editorial in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and a secret meeting between industry honchos and trade groups and the newspaper’s editorial board.The email from Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council board member and past secretary Alan Gottlieb was addressed to a long list of industry insiders urging them “to ride on this momentum (of the editorial), fast” by “asking for _*all*_ of our members (Farm Bureau, HCC, Papaya, etc) to write a *150 word positive letter to the editor* *_and_* *send them to the commodity leader ~ Johnny Gordines @ *Kauai Flowers [email address omitted] (_*not*_ to newspaper yet). We will *hold those letters and submit slowly to create a _sustained_ effort. *Make sense?” (all SIC)This email was then re-distributed to Kaua`i Farm Bureau members by it’s head Jerry Ornelles who revealed the meeting with the editorial board.The list of recipients of Gottlieb’s email contained one puzzling name amongst the “usual suspects” like Hawai`i Crop Improvement Association attack dog Alicia Maluafiti, chemical factory farmer and the funder of pro-GMO advertising campaigns, Richard Ha, Hawai`i Farm Bureau President Dean Okomoto who was videoed assaulting a woman in the hall outside a hearing on GMO-labeling at last year’s legislature , Ornellas, Kaua`i Farm Bureau Vice President Laurie Ho* and Pro-GMO gadfly Joni Rose.The odd name is that of Gary Baldwin, presumably the same Gary Baldwin that was the founder and former head of the Kaua`i Economic Development Board (KEDB) who left the island in disgrace after it was revealed that he was was wanted for various bunko crimes in Colorado and Arizona. He fled Kaua`i when the news was revealed and is said to have settled in the Northwest. Baldwin had risen from a nobody to become former Mayor Marianne Kuskaka’s golden boy, serving on the planning commission and working closely with the Kaua`i Visitor’s Bureau while being groomed for political office.Chris Manfredi, Jason Moniz, Lorie Farrell, Janet Ashman, Brian Miyamoto, Alex Franco, Chris English, Alan Takemoto, Laurie Ho, Eric Tanouye, Eric Weinert, Ross Sibucao and Michael Madamba round out Gottlieb’s list of recipients.

The lobbying effort comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed last Friday by the Kaua`i chemical companies Dow-Syngenta and DuPont-Pioneer to try to stop Kaua`i Ordinance 960 (formerly Bill 2491) which requires disclosure of the specific types, dates and times of the use of restricted use pesticides that are used on GMOs and sets up buffer zones around things like schools, hospitals and waterways. It also institutes a study group to look at the effects of the open air experimentation of pesticides and GMOs.

The letter writing campaign will apparently be timed for publication throughout the upcoming legislative session where a handful of legislators- those who head the list of chemical company campaign cash recipients- are reportedly planning on introducing legislation to try to “pre-empt” Kaua`i Ordinance 960 along with a measure passed on Hawai`i Island that bans outdoor experimentation on foods using genetically modified organisms (GMOs), with some exceptions for those already in production like papaya.

Maui has introduced a measure similar to the one that passed on Kaua`i.Correction: Laurie Ho is the Vice President of the Kaua`i Farm Bureau. She does not work for the state. The above post has been corrected.

I’m surprised that Andy Parx hasn’t figured out why people are joining together. Well, we all knew that logic and critical thinking are not high points in these anti-GMO mob members, so I’m not surprised he’s writing it. I like many others are sick and tired of you non-farmers, hobby activists (Chuck Lasker’s perfect term!), yardeners, and no local style ways attacking all of us and our families with your barrage of hate and disrespect. We’re not stepping down, and you can bet that you’ll be hearing from us through the media. That’s our right to be heard, not just the mob rule’s right.

The day that the mob starts a farm and runs their own business, to actually grow food for others, is the day that you’ll get your turn. Until then, you can bet people are going to speak up. And we’re not the ones who tell others to drink poison or accuse others of crimes against humanity. I’ve been told by your mob members that they wished I had birth defects and that when I meet my maker that I’ll be forgiven for speaking up. I’m not backing down for the sake of what’s needed in Hawaii, who are farmers, not the mob dictating laws. Our farms coexist because we see that each of us are part of the system called agriculture in Hawaii. That’s what brought us local folks together and the common bond we all share. We don’t share mob bonds that read Natural News, Babes Against Biotech posts, Hawaii GMO Justice Coalition, Ohana O Kauai, and others.

Tokyo Rose, as your mob has aptly called me, and gadfly, as you call me, is going to fight back and you can count on that. By the way, you did forget a big name on your list… My dad, Kenneth Kamiya, a biotech papaya farmer.

As I was talking to my husband tonight about the whole issue with agriculture and the divisiveness going on, he made a statement that really hit me. I was complaining about how a local farmer, whose crops were getting stolen, did not want to go on television to share his story. I explained to him that they were shy about it and didn’t want to be out there. Then my husband said, “Well, then you guys will all lose.” I wanted to fight back and say something but as I internalized it, he’s right. “If the silent majority continues to not speak up, then they will ultimately lose and we all will lose.”

No one wants to be at the end of a losing battle but in reality, in some ways he’s right. The local folks will sit back and complain about what’s going on and then do nothing about it but complain. Where does that complaining get us? Does it solve the problem? No.

Whenever there is a problem, one must realize that by seeing it, we are all a part of the problem. If we don’t recognize that, the problem can never be addressed. While many local people are starting to become more vocal about how we are being taken over by these activists, we are not doing our part. This loud, brazen minority has taken advantage of the culture of Hawaii and used it to their advantage.

Local style ways are pretty simple and learned from the good old plantation days where there were people from all over the world. Koreans, Chinese, Hawaiians, Portuguese, Filipinos, and Japanese were all joined together to work on the sugar cane and pineapple fields. There was a unique culture developed through this relationships, much of it a mixture of the cultures. Even a special language was born through all of this called pidgin that can only be heard by local people.

The local culture was pretty simple and based in respect. Don’t talk stink about others. Do your work good. Respect your kupuna or elders. Don’t make waves or attract attention to yourself. No make shame on your family. Work hard. It was laid back in its ways really. No one wants to speak up to get others mad or gain attention to yourself, just be a part of the masses. No make trouble, just leave it the way it is even if you don’t like it. Over the years, a huge sense of complacency has been developing as a result. It’s pretty evident when you see bumper stickers that state, “Ainokea.” That says it all… I don’t care.

When you look at the low voter turn outs in our state, that just shows how people don’t even bother with the issues nowadays. The same goes for agricultural issues here in Hawaii. How many times have you heard a local farmer speaking out for an issue? There are thousands of farmers here that were born and raised with long time family traditions rooted here. Where are their voices in the whole issue? I hardly hear or see of it but I do hear the complaints from others who don’t like what’s happening. This really sends the message that no one wants to stick their head out about the best direction to take based on their expertise and experience. The anti-aloha activists and their politicians have seized on this opportunity and are running the show now. Is that what is best for Hawaii? These are opportunists supported by ill-informed people supported by lots of outside monies?

So, if you don’t like what is happening to our agricultural industry in Hawaii, you the local born person, go walk in front of the mirror. Don’t point your finger at the anti-GMO club and blame them. Point that finger right at yourself and say, “Hey, you! You are the problem. Yep, I said it. It’s you who don’t have the guts take a stand. Don’t like what’s happening, eh? Den you bettah speak up do something about it and stop wasting your energy complaining. You da only one who going fo suffer.”

Wake up local people. There is a new culture developing in our islands that if you don’t adapt to it, you’ll have to pay the price for your silence. It’s time for the local folks who don’t say anything to speak up, vote, and say something to help your fellow long time local farmers. If you don’t, who will?

I’ve been called a shill already by politicians like Mike Gabbard and Russell Ruderman. Mike Gabbard is the state senator who sent me his proof of GMO dangers with the debunked Seralini link and Russell Ruderman is another state senator who owns 4 natural food stores and proudly boasts that the led the charge to ban fracking in Hawaii. Yes, we have some stellar folks in office here. Today, officially, I’ve been called a shill by none other than Gary Hooser for speaking out about biotech and farmers. The shill gambit is just another ad hominen attack at the person when you don’t have facts or evidence to support your claim. Here’s his quote on his blog and guest column on the Star Advertiser:

They hired prominent community leaders, conducted unethical “push polls”, and employ an army of industry bloggers and social media experts that attack the credibility and integrity of their opponents at every step.

Gary Hooser is so dumbfounded and blinded by his broken record statements that he can’t fathom that anyone would speak out for farmers could actually do it for free! Yes, Mr. Hooser and your fellow anti-GMO followers, I have not received a cent let alone any kind of payment to write this blog let alone pay for its existence. None. What is true is that I’m sick and tired of you and your activists doing nasty stuff towards anyone who speaks up for agriculture in Hawaii and acting as if you speak for the local people. No, you are just taking advantage of local people not speaking up, plain and simple. I find it pretty amazing that your title for today’s blog mentions bullying because you seem to have chosen the wrong word.

Let’s see what the definition of what a bullying actually is:

Who decided to enact this kind of legislation in the first place Mr. Hooser? Let’s meet the folks that have asked for this kind of laws to be made. Note some key terms in the definition of bullying: intimidation, harassment, threat, imbalance, coercion, repeated acts, mobbing, targets. **Note parental discretion due to threats of harm and foul language or gestures.**

If you read these kinds of comments, would you actually feel safe trying to testify for your cause? Common sense tells you no way. Does it look like a mob targeting people? Are there forms of intimidation in the comments? Do you actually think that real homeless people would stay there and risk their own safety against people who say and think stuff like this? I’d have to say I don’t think so. Real people know the truth of what happened and why.

He himself doesn’t like to see the disrespect, rather any criticism, on his own page also but it must be fine for his mob to do it towards others.

Hooser’s statement shows the total denial that he’s in and says a lot about the blind eye about what his mob does:

Residents supporting the Bill slept overnight on the hard and wet cement in front of the County building in order to garner a coveted seat inside the Council chambers, while the chemical companies hired the homeless and down-and-out to hold seats for their executives.

Then there is that supposedly “clueless” guy Tyler who claims to no nothing of the issue wearing a Hui O Kauai hat and taking $100 right on camera. The anti-GMO mob taped the whole thing themselves. Then there is the admission by Mr. Hooser himself that Tyler is his son’s friend. Who’s telling the truth?

The biggest discrepancy in his latest blog is this statement:

Bill 2491 does not ban pesticides nor does it ban GMO’s, it simply requires disclosure.

If that really is the case, then why are you a part of this:

Then there is yet another claim in his blog too about the meeting that the County Council was to vote on the bill. Had they outright voted on the bill as intended with the 6 members, according to the Sunshine Law, the meeting would have ended. The had polled for the vote and discovered that there would not be a quorum that set off the motion to get that 7th person in to reach quorum to finally pass the law.

And Mr. Hooser, as well as Mr. Atchitoff, if you are so determined to be aligned with these GMO Free groups, why were you eating it products that your mob members love to hate at a restaurant that isn’t GMO Free?! Did you thank a GMO farmer that day?

Of course people are going to say that Mr. Hooser was being spied upon at his dinner but the plain truth is he walked in after this person was having dinner that night. Get your facts straight. Never mind, there are no straight facts with followers of his regime.

And one last thing Gary and mob members… Are you trying to bully me for my petition to speak up for the farmers that you have disparaged and been disrespectful too? You may have the numbers but that doesn’t equal up to the hard work and knowledge that any farmer has any day. I’m standing with the farmers!

**Note if you’re an anti-GMO activist trying to post on here, I’m tired of your threats and vile comments. You can send them and I’ll repost it as a new blog. All posts found were publicly available on the social media also that were sent in by someone or captured in public forums. All comments are my own and do not reflect anyone else’s.**